The field of the invention is clamps, and the invention relates more particularly to quick connect clamps which hold two or more members together and permit the easy disassembly of the parts.
In certain applications, it is necessary to provide a clamp which gives a firm clamping pressure even when the objects to be clamped are slightly compressed. One such application is in a chemical separation or purification process referred to as "dialysis" where a semi-permeable membrane is clamped between two manifolds. The membrane itself may be slightly compressed by the pressure of the manifolds and it is important that the two manifolds be held tightly together even though the member between them is slightly compressed. In the past, a cumbersome method was used comprising four bolts with wing nuts and washers which could be tightened from time to time to maintain the desired pressure. It was, of course, time consuming to assemble and the amount of pressure exerted between the portions being held together was dependant upon the torque exerted on the thumb nuts.